Pastor Bruce McKenney

bmckenney@stpaullakemills.org

I was born in Marinette, Wisconsin in the long shadows of Lambeau Field.  I graduated in 1975 from Marinette Sr. High School and began my formal training for the pastoral ministry at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin graduating in 1980. I finished my training for the pastoral ministry at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary graduating in 1984. I served my vicar year at Bethany Lutheran Church in Appleton, WI and taught religion classes at Fox Valley Lutheran High School.  

 My first call as a pastor was to Bethany Lutheran Church in Manitowoc, WI where I served for 17 years.  In 2001 I accepted the call to St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church in Lake Mills, WI.   During those years I have had the privilege to serve the church at large in a number of ways--as a circuit pastor, a district officer, and a contributing editor for Forward in Christ, the official magazine of the Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod.

 I married my wife Lois on June 6, 1981.  We met on the campus of Northwestern when I was a sophomore in college and she was a senior in high school at Northwestern Prep.  Lois serves as the Special Ed teacher at St. Paul as well as the church and school music coordinator.  The Lord has blessed our marriage with four children and five grandchildren. Some of my favorite pastimes are golfing in the summer and hunting in the fall. My wife told me that I like hiking too, but I’m not so sure about that.

 There are many things I enjoy about being a pastor—teaching God’s Word, especially to children and to those who don’t yet know the Savior, visiting members and, leading God’s people in worship.  One of the greatest privileges though is standing at the casket of a Christian and assuring the grieving family that in Christ everything will be all right since in Christ there is life after death!!!